The Staffs & Worcs is one of the earliest made canals forming an important link between the River Severn in the west to the River Trent in the east (via the T&M canal). Today it’s lock infrastructure is charming. The canal is never far from the Birmingham conurbation to it’s east - but you wouldn’t know it with canal scenery as pretty as anywhere in the country. 

Passing Kinver we arrive at Stourton where the Stourbridge canal heads off for Stourbridge and Birmingham’s BCN. Staying on the Staffs and Worcs we continue to hug the ‘Edge’ heading NE. At the Bratch we have an unusual, but interesting flight of locks with ‘side ponds’. The intervening pounds are only a few feet long.

We boaters tend to think of the Staffs & Worcs canal as being two canals in one - the southern and the northern Staffs & Worcs.  To look at the infrastructure of the their respective locks and bridges you could be forgiven for thinking that they are different canals. So firstly here's some photos of the southern, quieter, end of the canal (from Stourport heading NE towards Autherley Junction ).

Lining up to enter Stourport Basin narrow locks (and therefore the Staffs & Worcs) from the mighty River Severn.	The attractive Stourport Basin, where the Staffs & Worcs starts.  Stourport was a purpose built inland port.	Having climbed up from the basin, the S&W canal heads off NE - interesting and fun stretch.	NE of Kidderminster the really pretty part of the SW starts - here near Wolverley.
Navigating a narrow passage at the base of a sandstone escarpment, which is part of 'Kinver Edge'.	Debdale Lock, where the canal engineers hollowed out a cave in the rock to act as a stable for the horses.	Marvellous rural canal here at Austcliffe.	Whittington Lock - very pretty.

Whittington Lock again, but here to illustrate the top gate paddles (a feature of the southern S&W).	Whittington Horse Bridge. Only wide enough for horses, much to the dismay of recent car thieves who, whilst pursued, took it to be a road bridge - Ooops!	Pretty vista above Hyde Lock, Kinver.	Stewponey Lock, with its old Toll House. Boats coming off the nearby Stourbridge canal from the BCN, would be stopped here to pay.
This cave in the escarpment, known as Devil's Den, is just NE of Stourton Junction, where the Stourbridge canal heads off for Birmingham.	These deer in a garden at Ashwood are actually basket-ware models	Irene assists a boat about to climb Botterham staircase locks.	.... and this is the centre chamber of the Bratch locks, with interesting side ponds - no it's not a staircase lock.

We skirt the Birmingham and Wolverhampton area, almost without realising their presence. Here the much more recently built Shropshire Union canal heads off north at Autherley Junction, but we carry on NE. Now on the northern section of the Staffs & Worcs the infrastructure of the canal appears to be the work of different engineers.  We pass thru a very narrow sandstone cutting at Coven, cross heath land in the Gailey area then on to join the Penk Valley passing Penkridge heading NE for the T&M.

We pass south of Stafford then join the Sow Valley on our way to Gt.Haywood. One of my favourite stretches, with it’s flood plain water meadows - attractive. We skirt the northern end of Cannock Chase reaching Tixall Wide. When the canal engineers were building the canal, permission to cross the land there was withheld - unless the canal company built the canal to pass thru a made ornamental lake. The land owner wanted to have a pretty outlook - hence Tixall Wide. 

Through the Wide, passing Shugborough Estate to the South, we reach Gt.Haywood junction and the Trent & Mersey canal. A favourite area for narrowboaters and a real boating town/village.  So here's more photos, this time of the northern section of the Staffs & Worcs....

After a days cruising, an summers evening glass of wine sitting out on the towpath - location is near to Long Molls.	Ice creams at Gailey lock, with its circular toll house (first lock on the S&W for boats off the Shroppie or BCN)	Couldn't resist this photo at the bottom gates of Penkridge Lock - look carefully to see the wagtail's nest with eggs.	Irene doesn't hang around, when locking. Such hard work is 'good for her', stops her getting fat.
Just passing Stafford to the N, we pass through suburbia for a short while.	Swans at Tixall Wide, near to the end of the S&W.  The reeds are full of Reed Warblers - but too small to catch on camera.	The Anglo Welsh canal basin at Great Haywood Junction.	The water point at the Junction.  Sorry the photo is small - the sign post actually points to 'Wolverhampton'.